Impact report for the year ended 30th September 2022
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CONTENTS
A note from the Trustees
3 Our strategic work areas 3 Activities in 2021/22 4 Project: Nepal 6 Volunteer recruitment & training 7 Fundraising for NAYO
8 Governance & Committee 10 BVDA accounts Notes to the financial statements 12 14 Going forward 15 With thanks
Our vision is of a global community working together to deliver sustainable positive change.
Our mission is to inspire and enable students to actively engage in sustainable international development.
Our aim is the advancement of education and the relief of poverty, sickness and distress in developing countries.
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A NOTE FROM THE TRUSTEES
Following two years when international travel was restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year we were again able to send a small group of four volunteers to Nepal. Facilitating this very successful project was a significant achievement for the student committee, who overcame uncertainty and a lack of experienced students to rely on. Training for the project also benefited from support from a local representative of the Pahar Trust, another Nepal charity with strong Bristol links.
Local activities this year included fundraising for a womens’ hygiene project in Malawi. We were able to maintain a small core group of students over the year, noting sadly that some of our sister charities elsewhere in the UK had not been able to do so. Our students were able to host joint events with other societies in addition to their fundraising activities.
From a strategic perspective, the trustees are indebted to this year’s committee for persevering and completing their project. However, the majority of the volunteers were final year students and it will continue to be a challenge for us to rebuild the student base over the coming years.
All the more reason, then, for the trustees to thank all those who donated their time or money to BVDA during this challenging but ultimately successful year.
Ben Perry On behalf of the BVDA Trustees, 2021/22
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OUR STRATEGIC WORK AREAS
Given the inability to send volunteers abroad during 2020 and 2021, the focus of the charity this year was to build a cohort of volunteers, successfully fundraise for the overseas project and to ensure volunteers had a successful project abroad.
At the start of the year there was uncertainty as to whether volunteers would be able to go abroad, so the committee and trustees continued to collaborate closely to deliver by planning for different eventualities and adapting to condense fundraising and volunteer training into shorter timescales. As a result, BVDA sent volunteers to work with a grass-roots charity in Nepal on a successful project.
ACTIVITIES IN 2021/22
The following pages outline BVDA’s activities in 2021/22. This year represented a successful year for BVDA, as we sent students on projects when few other organisations were able to do so because of uncertainty created by the global pandemic.
Focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
BVDA is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment at all times, and takes a strong stance against discrimination in all its forms in order to make activities fun and open for all. We continue to focus on collecting demographic data of the members and comparing this against university-wide data, in order to analyse how we can increase involvement and improve the experiences of underrepresented groups.
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PROJECT: NEPAL
We worked with the Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) in the village of Sima in Nepal.
Our volunteers worked on a construction project to build three public bathrooms in Sima Village, where issues have been identified with health and hygiene.
Showering and washing is difficult, with communities usually relying on local water taps, which can often become overcrowded and unhygienic. Our volunteers worked alongside local skilled labourers to construct a women’s bathroom, which will be used by around 50 women and allow them to have privacy when showering and washing clothes. The bathrooms were constructed using local materials and are earthquake resistant. The volunteers assisted the local workers by carrying cement and stones to aid the building work and painting the bathrooms once constructed.
‘We got to learn so much about ourselves, and a completely new culture and community that we never have had the chance to experience otherwise. We believe the project has made a sustainable impact to Sima and hope that we have made a long lasting personal impact on the community too.’
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Our volunteers also helped to carry out road maintenance, as the roads between villages were in poor condition and during the rainy season became slippery and difficult to drive and walk on. This makes it challenging for locals to access important services such as hospitals and schools during the rainy season. Working alongside local people, our volunteers dug roadside channels in order to divert the flow of water. They also built a more stable and resilient road surface from rocks and boulders, enabling vehicles to travel and making the surface less dangerous for people and animals on foot.
‘Overall, this project has been one of the most incredible adventures that any of us have experienced yet.’
Teaching in local schools was also a key component of the volunteer’s project. The volunteers used fun and hands-on teaching methods, and noticed a visible improvement in the children’s English language skills over the course of the project. The volunteers also designed and painted murals in classrooms to enhance the children’s learning environment.
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VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT & TRAINING
Face-to-face events continue to be BVDA’s best form of volunteer recruitment. This year’s freshers fair was run in person and the committee received around 200 email sign-ups.
In 2021/22 there was significant uncertainty over whether volunteers would be able to travel abroad due to the impact of Covid-19. After BVDA made the decision to send volunteers abroad in January 2022, the committee and trustees worked together to recruit, fundraise and agree project outcomes. The committee subsequently recruited and confirmed four volunteers to go on the project.
The volunteers ran a condensed training over 1 day which included the essentials as well as a presentation from an external contact who had previously volunteered in Nepal.
FUNDRAISING FOR NAYO MENSTRUAL HYGIENE PROJECT
In 2021, amidst the uncertainty surrounding sending volunteers abroad, BVDA continued to adapt its fundraising strategy to ensure that volunteers were able to get involved in fundraising for BVDA’s partner charities.
BVDA worked with University of Bristol Period Society and Bristol Gynaecology Society to run a film screening and seminar on period poverty to raise money for a menstrual hygiene project run by Nancholi Youth Organisation (NAYO), BVDA’s Malawibased project partner.
The event raised £130 through selling raffle and film tickets, and this fundraising was matched by BVDA. NAYO used this money to set up a year-long reusable 2 sanitary pad production project and provide training on menstrual hygiene.
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GOVERNANCE & COMMITTEE
In 2022, the trustees and committee continued to work closely to respond to the challenges posed by Covid-19 , holding regular meetings and check-ins to discuss concerns, ideas and initiatives.
At the start of the 2021/22 period, BVDA was governed by five registered trustees. Shindy Lall stepped down as a trustee in February 2022, following several years working with BVDA as a trustee. Ben Perry chaired the trustees, alongside Celestine Weegenaar, Katie Tomlinson and Vaihari Balendran.
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In 2021/2022, BVDA actively recruited for trustees. One trial trustee joined during the year recruited from an online platform. Former BVDA volunteer, Caitlin Bromfield also joined as a trial trustee and later joined the board.
Trustees are appointed by a resolution of existing trustees, of which there must be a minimum of three. All trustees serve for a term of two years and may be re-appointed for a further term at each Annual General Meeting.
TRUSTEE BOARD
BVDA is supported by a dedicated student committee, the majority of whom have remained with BVDA from the previous year despite no international projects going ahead in order to ensure continuity of the society. With guidance from the trustees, the committee took the lead on activities and meetings, including event promotion, fundraising initiatives and socials.
BVDA’s work continues to follow our up to date safeguarding policy. We have a safeguarding lead trustee who has completed NSPCC Child Safeguarding training.
Ben Perry (Chair)
Katie Tomlinson (M&E, EDI) Celestine Weegenaar (Projects) Vaihari Balendran (Finance) Caitlin Bromfield (M&E)
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BVDA ACCOUNTS
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that neither an independent review nor an audit is required for this year under sections 144(2) and 145(1) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act).
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The accounts on pages 11-12, together with the related notes on pages 13-14 were approved by the trustees on 28th April 2021 and were signed on their behalf by:
Ben Perry Trustee Chair
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 30th September 2022
Basis of accounting
The financial statements are prepared on a ‘receipts and payments’ basis.
Receipts
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Fundraising sales represent the income made from sales of charity goods.
nature necessary to support them. Volunteers do not receive payments for their services.
Administrative costs include the costs associated with meetings of the trustees and committee. Neither the trustees nor the committee members receive any payment for their services to the charity. During the year, travel and expense costs were reimbursed to trustees and committee members totalling £0 (2021: £86).
Insurance costs represent the public liability insurance purchased for the overseas project in Nepal.
Restricted funds
Payments
Fundraising costs represent the costs associated with the income from fundraising sales.
Project expenditure represents payments made to overseas partners to fund volunteering projects. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect
The charity’s policy on restricted funds is to separately record donations, grants and other sources of fundraising where restrictions are imposed that are narrower than the charity’s overall objectives. No restricted funds are held at 30 September 2022.
Taxation
BVDA is a registered charity, and as such is entitled to certain tax exemptions including receipt of Gift Aid.
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BVDA is not registered for VAT and accordingly, all expenditure is recorded inclusive of any VAT incurred.
Foreign currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate incurred as part of the transaction. Bank fees incurred are recorded as direct project expenditure.
All bank accounts are held in pounds sterling.
Reserves (cash funds)
The trustees have determined that BVDA needs to retain £7,500 in reserves to cover operational costs for one year, should we face a loss of income. Hence, BVDA continues to hold sufficient reserves to meet this requirement. Restricted funds are excluded from charity reserves.
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GOING FORWARD
Supporting partners
In 2022/23, BVDA hopes to advance further projects with our partner charities. Given the success of sending in-person volunteers this year, we hope to continue to send volunteers abroad. The committee and trustees will continue to work together to make plans for various eventualities, including remote volunteering/fundraising.
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Recruitment, student engagement & longevity
A further priority for 2022/23 will be continuing to ensure we have a strong volunteer base and committee to support BVDA’s activities. This will be reinforced through collaboration with the university and other societies, and providing adequate support to the student-led committee. We will evaluate our activities on a regular basis to ensure that we meet this.
WITH THANKS
We truly value the relationships we have built with our project partners and have been proud to be able to send students abroad this year to support a great project.
With thanks to our current project partners:
Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) Nancholi Youth Organisation (NAYO)
BVDA would like to acknowledge the incredible support and resilience of our student committee, volunteers and trustees through an extremely difficult year.
Thank you for keeping BVDA strong so that future students and communities are able to benefit from amazing international development projects.
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BRISTOL VOLUNTEERS FOR DEVELOPMENT ABROAD (BVDA)
Registered charity no. 1173282 trustees@bvda.org.uk bvda.org.uk @bvda_bristol